--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reality is that if you want to be in…" description: "\"The reality is that if you want to be in a reality-based community, you've got to respect reality and that means calling it bad when you see the past a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/john-hodgman-1811_calling_the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in_1622344.jpg" --- # The reality is that if you want to be in a reality-based… ![“The reality is that if you want to be in a reality-based community, you've got to respect reality and that means calling it bad when you see the past ahead and it doesn't look good and acknowledging when it's going to work.” quote by John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/john-hodgman-1811_calling_the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in_1622344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/john-hodgman-1811_calling_the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in_1622344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/john-hodgman-1811_calling_the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in_1622344.jpg) > “The reality is that if you want to be in a reality-based community, you've got to respect reality and that means calling it bad when you see the past ahead and it doesn't look good and acknowledging when it's going to work.” [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To engage meaningfully, acknowledge reality, critique it when flawed, and recognize when it works. **In simple terms:** Accept reality, critique its flaws, and notice its successes. Key Takeaway Be honest about reality and act accordingly. Themes critical thinking honesty adaptability skepticism Mood analytical thoughtful skeptical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - political discourse - scientific research - media analysis - personal decision making Key Concepts epistemology cognitive bias truth seeking Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate personal bias from objective reality? - When should you challenge prevailing narratives? A Different Perspective Reality can be subjective; consensus may differ. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Going to work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-to-work/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Based](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-based-290190/) [Reality Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-means-290189/) [Reality Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-want-290191/) [Respect Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-reality-290188/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [“Self respect and reality is tough rival when it comes to balance it honestly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankit-samrat/self-respect-and-reality-is-tough-rival-when-it-comes-to-balance-it/) [Ankit Samrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankit-samrat/) > [“Appreciate her beauty, love her uniqueness and respect her reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/appreciate-her-beauty-love-her-uniqueness-and-respect-her-reality/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [His (the theologian) basic instinct of self preservation forbids him to respect reality at any point or even to let it get a word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/his-the-theologian-basic-instinct-of-self-preservation-forbids-him-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I don't have a great respect for reality or getting the 'facts' as a means of putting together a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-toltz/i-don-t-have-a-great-respect-for-reality-or-getting-the-facts-as-a/) [Steve Toltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-toltz/) > [I've learned how to look at things and not judge them, but respect them and use it in a way that people understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-e-fresh/i-ve-learned-how-to-look-at-things-and-not-judge-them-but-respect/) [Doug E. Fresh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-e-fresh/) > [“For me, the heart of Christianity is, a sincere respect of reality in God's creation, purpose and redemptive work in Christ.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-o-ryan/for-me-the-heart-of-christianity-is-a-sincere-respect-of-reality-in/) [Barry O'Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-o-ryan/) > [“A painter must never be satisfied with what he sees—painting reality means surrendering to it,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/a-painter-must-never-be-satisfied-with-what-he-sees-painting-reality/) [Saša Stanišić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [“The Real World' The real word doesn't take flight the way dreams do. No muffled voice, no doorbell can dispel it, no shriek, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wis-awa-szymborska/the-real-world-the-real-word-doesn-t-take-flight-the-way-dreams-do-no/) [Wisława Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wis-awa-szymborska/) > [Love is a striking example of how little reality means to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/love-is-a-striking-example-of-how-little-reality-means-to-us/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Reason and reality are the only means to just laws; mindless wishes, if given sovereignty, become deadly masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/reason-and-reality-are-the-only-means-to-just-laws-mindless-wishes-if/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [For to dream and then to return to reality only means that our qualms suffer a change of place and significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidonie-gabrielle/for-to-dream-and-then-to-return-to-reality-only-means-that-our-qualms/) [Sidonie Gabrielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidonie-gabrielle/) > [Knowing reality means constructing systems of transformations that correspond, more or less adequately, to reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/knowing-reality-means-constructing-systems-of-transformations-that/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Thinking is the desire to gain reality by means of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/thinking-is-the-desire-to-gain-reality-by-means-of-ideas/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [...words are the gateway to reality, the means by which we engage with the objective truth beyond ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pearce/words-are-the-gateway-to-reality-the-means-by-which-we-engage-with/) [Joseph Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pearce/) > [“The attempt to understand reality apart from that action of God in and upon reality means living in anabstraction; it means failing to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-attempt-to-understand-reality-apart-from-that-action-of-god-in/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## More by John Hodgman > [Life may be miraculous in its unlikelihood in the universe, but it would be a fallacy to suggest that its rareness makes it inextinguishable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/life-may-be-miraculous-in-its-unlikelihood-in-the-universe-but-it/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I navigated the world as a hedge maze of constant fear and worry in which I might take the wrong turn and jeopardize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-navigated-the-world-as-a-hedge-maze-of-constant-fear-and-worry-in/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“There are transitions in life whether we want them or not. You get older. You lose jobs and loves and people. The story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/there-are-transitions-in-life-whether-we-want-them-or-not-you-get/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald meet in hell and team up to assassinate Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/john-wilkes-booth-and-lee-harvey-oswald-meet-in-hell-and-team-up-to/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I think in American culture, we put value on economic success but tell people you don't have to be economically successful to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-think-in-american-culture-we-put-value-on-economic-success-but-tell/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [If you look in the dictionary under 'perfectionist,' you see Henry Selick correcting the definition of perfectionist in the dictionary. I mean, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/if-you-look-in-the-dictionary-under-perfectionist-you-see-henry/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Lies are just another kind of storytelling, but with the very distinct and enlivening motive of desperation. Since writers are by nature desperate creatures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/lies-are-just-another-kind-of-storytelling-but-with-the-very-distinct/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I've made my evolutionary purpose and had children. I don't care if anybody likes me, I'm going to do what I want to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-ve-made-my-evolutionary-purpose-and-had-children-i-don-t-care-if/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“When you live in New York or any big city, it is easy to fail at growing up. The city is designed to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/when-you-live-in-new-york-or-any-big-city-it-is-easy-to-fail-at/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I don't wish to brag, but I'm very intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-don-t-wish-to-brag-but-i-m-very-intelligent/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [You wouldn't want to live a life in which you are loved or approved by all people on Earth or even within your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/you-wouldn-t-want-to-live-a-life-in-which-you-are-loved-or-approved/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Well, I always had this desire to celebrate and somehow be a part of things that I thought were really great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/well-i-always-had-this-desire-to-celebrate-and-somehow-be-a-part-of/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I would be good for maybe not the center square but an upper square on 'Hollywood Squares.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-would-be-good-for-maybe-not-the-center-square-but-an-upper-square/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [One of the things about crowd work that's so exciting is when you discover a character in the audience who's interesting or funny, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/one-of-the-things-about-crowd-work-that-s-so-exciting-is-when-you/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“Maine is not a death cult. I mean, it is, but it's a slow one. It creeps in like the tide, and without your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/maine-is-not-a-death-cult-i-mean-it-is-but-it-s-a-slow-one-it-creeps/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) [Explore all 207 John Hodgman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) ## More Calling quotes > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [NBC is making a movie about Martha Stewart that will cover the recent stock scandal. They are thinking of calling it 'The Road To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/nbc-is-making-a-movie-about-martha-stewart-that-will-cover-the-recent/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [“There is no interaction without God with interaction with men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/there-is-no-interaction-without-god-with-interaction-with-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [When I was a little boy, I was reading Dante and I was saying to myself 'Bravo, Dante, Bravo.' It's so beautiful, the music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-was-reading-dante-and-i-was-saying-to/) [Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/) > [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [\*Calling someone I don't want to answer\* \*Please go to voice mail. Please go to voice mail. Please go to voice mail..\* Hello? -\_\_\_-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/calling-someone-i-don-t-want-to-answer-please-go-to-voice-mail-please/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Sometimes you hear a voice through the door calling you... This turning toward what you deeply love saves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/sometimes-you-hear-a-voice-through-the-door-calling-you-this-turning/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Please be slow to judge ‘brothers’ who have a different calling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/please-be-slow-to-judge-brothers-who-have-a-different-calling/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) [Browse all 3,811 Calling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The reality is that if you want to be in a reality-based community, you've got to respect reality and that means calling it bad when you see the past ahead and it doesn't look good and acknowledging when it's going to work.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Hodgman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in-a-reality-based-community/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Calling" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in-a-reality-based-community/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/john-hodgman-1811_calling_the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in_1622344.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/john-hodgman-1811_calling_the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in_1622344.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/024/john-hodgman-1811_calling_the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in_1622344.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The reality is that if you want to be in a reality-based community, you've got to respect reality and that…” — John Hodgman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Hodgman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The reality is that if you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in-a-reality-based-community/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-reality-is-that-if-you-want-to-be-in-a-reality-based-community/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```